Ash-pan.



G. SPRATLEY.

ASH PAN." APPLICATION FILED NOV 1, 1909.

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G. SPRATLEY.

ASH PAN. APPLICATION IILED' 30V. -1, '1909.'

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE SPRATLEY, OF SHERMAN, TEXAS, ASSIG-NOR 0F ONE-HALF T0 THOMAS BYRN'E,

' OF SHERMAN, TEXAS.

ASH-PAN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 16, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE SPRATLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sherman, in the county of Grayson and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ash-Pans, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention has relation to certain new and useful improvements in locomotive ash pans.

My invention has for its primary object the provision of an improved locomotive ash pan provided with flanged closure plates, and means to hold said closure plates against the delivery end of the ash pan.

A further object is to provide a hoppered ash pan having two compartments each forming a distinct outlet, together with two closure plates arranged to be synchronously actuated to empty the pan.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the spe cific structure shown and described may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views, Figure 1 shows an elevational view disclosing a fragmentary portion of a locomotive provided with my hoppered ash pan, Fig. 2 shows an enlarged detached detail disclosing the arrangement of the closure plates. Fig. 3 is a bottom view.

Locomotive ash pans, as usually constructed, are objectionable in that the hot ashes and cinders are permitted to trail out of the pan, often causing damage to the wooden ties in igniting the same.

In my present invention, I provide a simply constructed positively operating mechanism eliminating the objectionable features of the usually constructed ash pan.

In the accompanying drawings the numeral 5 designates a fragmentary portion of a locomotive equipped with my hoppered ash pan. The ash pan comprises the two similar side plates6, the front plate 7 and the rear plate 8. The side plate 6, at two points is provided with the downwardly extending hopper forming portions 9 and 10.

To divide the ash pan proper into two compartments, I use the under plate 10 bent V- shaped and provided with the parallel extending plate sections 12 and 13, secured to the hopper forming portions 9 and 10, as clearly disclosed. Secured to the stands 15 of the locomotive supporting frame 16, is the spanner bar 19 forming a cross support, this support having the apertured securing ears 20 to receive the bolts 22 by means of which this cross support is secured between the stands 15.

Secured to the frame member 23, is the forward cross support in the form of the spanner bar 24, having the securing plate 25 provided with suitable apertures to receive the bolts 26 by means of which the forward cross support 24 is held to the engine frame. The cross supports 19 and 24 are disposed in parallel spaced relation.

Secured to the support 24 by means of the bolt 27 are the hangers 28, which support the shaft 30, while secured to the cross support 19 by means of the bolts 32 are the hangers 33 giving support to the shaft 34.

Pivotally held to the shaft 30, are the hinged bars 35, the eyes 36 of which engage the shaft 30, while the major portion 37 of the hinged bar is secured to the bottom of the closure plate 39 by means of the rivets 40. This closure plate 39 is provided with the obliquely held border flanges 41, this' plate 39 inclosing the portion 10.

Held in pivotal engagement with the shaft 34 are the hinged bars 43, the eyes 44 of which engage the shaft 34, the forward end 45 of these hinged bars 43 being secured to the closure plate 46 by means of the rivets 47. This closure plate 46 is provided with the obliquely held border flanges 48, this plate 46 closing the hopper 9 as shown in Fig. 2.

Secured to the closure plate 39 is the trunnion bar 50, having the projecting trunnions 51, while secured to the bottom plate 46 is the trunnion bar 52 provided with the projecting trunnions 53. Two similar link'rods 54, having terminal. apertures, connect the trunnions 51 to the trunnions 53. These link rods are held to the trunnions by means of the pins 49.

Secured to the lower rail 56 of the engine supporting frame upon each side, are the U- shaped yokes 57 fixed by means of the bolts 58,these yokes pivotally supporting the rock shaft having the two similarly extending arms 61, these'arms carrying the pins 62, by means of which the arms are pivotally held within the forked ends 63 of the levers 65, these levers at their remaining ends engaging the trunnions 53 asclearly disclosed in Fig. 3. Extending from one end of the rock shaft 60 is the crank arm 67, carrying the pin 68 to which is pivotally secured the operating bar 69, this bar 69 has a slot 70 to receive a lug 71, so that the flanged closure plates may be held against their respective hoppers in practically water tight contact. The flanges 41 and 48 serve to retain the waste water from the injector overflow and serve to keep the closure plates in air tight connection with their respective hoppers. Even if these plates 39 and 46 become slightly warped to cause leakage each will always contain water to the height of the flanges 41 and 48 around the lower ends of the ash pan which will prevent any serious warping or distortion of the closure plate when in a closed position.

The operating bar 69 can be actuated by air, steam, or manually as may be desired. Owing to the angled bottom forming hopper portion 10, the ash pan may be speedily and entirely emptied whenever the rock shaft 60 is actuated to permit the dumping of the closure plate.

An ash pan constructed according to my invention is simple and inexpensive in construction and both durable and efficient in operation, while the closure plates may be synchronously actuated with ease and despatch to empty the ash pan.

Attention is called to the fact that the closure plates 39 and 46 are pivotally con nected to the cross supports 24 and 19 respectively, which are independent of the hoppers 9 and 10, and are positioned adjacent the latter and near the lower ends thereof. The link rods 54 and the levers are pivotally connected to the under face of the plates 39 and 46 near the side opposite the first pivot point. By means of this arrangement of supports and connections the necessity of drilling holes in the sides of the hoppers 9 and 10 for the reception of pivot bolts from which to suspend the plates, is eliminated. Such a connection to say the least, is undesirable for the reason that the intense heat from the hot ashes within the hoppers tends to warp the hoppers and would also affect the connection and thus interfere with its free and accurate operation in opening and closing the lower ends of said hoppers. Owing to the plates 39 and 46 being pivoted at opposite sides, it is possible to swing them into close contact with the open lower edges of the hoppers, thus assuring an air tight connection between the hoppers 9 and 10 and the plates 39 and 46 regardless of the bulging sides of the hop pers.

Having thus described my said invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination with a hoppered ash pan, of a cross support independent of the latter, hangers secured to said support, a closure plate secured to said hangers, and having flanges forming a part of said closure plate and in a spaced relation to the delivery end of the ash pan, when said plate is in a closed position for retaining an air sealing liquid, a trunnion bar carried by said plate, a rock shaft having arms, and link rods connecting said trunnions.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with a hoppered ash pan, of a cross support independent of the latter, hangers secured to said support, a 010- sure plate secured to said hangers, said flanges being in a spaced relation to the ash pan, when said plate is in a closed position for retaining an air sealing liquid, a rock shaft having arms, and links extending from said rock arms to said trunnions.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with a hoppered ash pan, of a cross support independent of the latter, hangers pivotally secured to said support, a closure plate secured to said hangers, said flanges being in a spaced relation to the ash pan, when said plate is in a closed position for retaining an air sealing liquid, a trunnion bar carried by said plate, a rock shaft having arms, links connecting said trunnion to said rock arms, and a crank arm extending from said rock shaft.

4. The combination with an ash pan having two hoppered discharge openings, of a cross support positioned adjacent each hoppered discharge opening and independent of the latter, hangers secured to both of said cross supports, a closure plate secured to the hangers of each cross support, and in a spaced relation to the ash pan, when said plate is in a closed position for retaining an air sealing liquid, a trunnion bar carried by each closure plate, two links connecting said trunnion bars, a pivotally held rock shaft provided with arms, links extending from said arms to said connecting links, a crank arm extending from said rock shaft, and means to actuate said rock shaft.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signa- W. C. WEISS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

